


Set My Alarm

by mercurys_loverboy (FandomStar)



Series: Freddie and Arthel ~ "Canon" [3]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: M/M, Musicians, Piano, Relationship Reveal, Romantic Gestures, Song Lyrics, Songwriting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 17:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18921340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomStar/pseuds/mercurys_loverboy
Summary: Freddie should really be more careful when he's writing songs he doesn't want anyone to see.





	Set My Alarm

**Author's Note:**

> Set in June 1977, a month after Freddie and Arthel's relationship started.  
> You should probably read the previous two works in this series before reading this.  
> Warning! This features the author, who is not a musician, trying to describe what happens whilst composing music!  
> Also, I know that I got the year wrong for the release of Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy. I just really love the idea of it being Freddie's song for Arthel, and I didn't really want him writing it when he'd only known Ell for a month, if at all.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

Freddie's fingers ran across the keys of his piano, as he read over the lyrics he'd scrawled onto paper over the past hour. He'd been working on them for the past week, and he was almost certain that they were right. Having come to the conclusion, Freddie had decided to start composing the music, starting with the piano accompaniment.

"I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things," he sang into the empty room, trying to find the key. "We can do the tango just for two."

He pressed his fingers onto a chord. He played another chord and smiled. He put them together and continued. 

"I can serenade and gently play on your heartstrings/Be your Valentino just for you."

Grinning, Freddie rested his chin in one of his hands. Dreaming, he let his mind wander to the man he'd been writing about. Arthel was amazing. He was everything he could look for in a partner and more. Right from the start, Freddie knew that there was an understanding shared between them that was comparable only to the one he'd shared with Mary. Freddie didn't want to think about that, though - that was a different relationship, one that he was very happy to maintain at a platonic level. Shaking himself, Freddie sat properly and played the chorus the way he'd been imagining.

"Ooh, love! Ooh, loverboy!/What're you doing tonight, hey boy?" he sang, fingers dancing across the piano keys. "Set my alarm/Turn on my charm/That's because I'm a good old-fashioned loverboy."

Pleased with how it sounded, Freddie grinned. A cat jumped onto Freddie's lap, and he ran a hand over her back.

"What do you think he's make of it, darling?" Freddie thoughtfully asked Lilly.

Lilly purred, before jumping from Freddie's lap, letting him take some manuscript paper from the top of his piano and scrawl down his composition so far. Deciding to put everything he had together, he moved the lyrics off of the music stand on the piano onto the sofa and replaced them with the sheet music he'd scribbled down.

Suddenly, Freddie heard the front door of his flat open and close, followed by the sound of people coming up the stairs. Chastising himself for forgetting to lock the door, he turned to face the door. He wasn't completely surprised when his bandmates burst in.

"Freddie!" Brian cheerfully greeted, beaming. "Thought we'd pop by and see you. Your door's unlocked, by the way."

"I noticed," Freddie lightly replied, before gesturing to the sofas. "Come in!"

He turned back to the piano and softly played the opening chords again. 

"Hey, Fred, this is sweet!" Roger called from one of the sofas.

Curious, Freddie looked at him to see what he was on about. He saw that his friend was reading the lyrics he'd put on the sofa earlier. His eyes widened.

"I forgot those were there." Freddie whispered, before striding over and holding his hand out to Roger, silently asking the drummer for the paper.

Slightly confused, Roger passed him the lyrics. Tightly, Freddie smiled, and put them with the sheet music, before sitting next to Brian.

"Who's it about?" John asked, clearly noticing that something was off about the way Freddie was acting about this song.

Trying to be nonchalant, Freddie shrugged.

"Nobody, darling," he replied. "If you want to think it's about someone, then it's about the little man in my head who tells me he loves me."

Pleased with his quickly made up response, he grinned. Nobody else did though. So, he began to panic slightly. He and Arthel hadn't really talked about how they'd tell the band about their relationship. Brian shifted next to him.

"Fred-" he started to say, making Freddie sigh.

"Fine. If you must know, it's about Arthel." he told his friends, reluctantly, hoping that he wouldn't have to elaborate.

"Ell?" Roger asked, squinting a little in disbelief. "I thought you got over him months ago!"

John seemed to have understood what Freddie wasn't saying, and he was smiling. Freddie stared between the men sitting on his sofas, trying to decide whether or not to tell them. Finally, he decided that lying to his friends could only end in disaster.

"Well, I didn't. And, I must say, it's a good job that I didn't, because... we're... together." he announced, uncertainly.

Eventually, he lifted his eyes to see Roger grinning widely at him. 

"It took you long enough!" Brian said, laughing and startling Freddie a little with a one-armed hug.

John laughed as well.

"That's putting it lightly!" he agreed, before asking, "How long's it been?" 

"A month, give or take," Freddie easily replied, leaning into Brian's embrace. "We haven't actually discussed telling you, and I would have preferred to have Arthel here, but you found the song and wanted answers, so..." 

Roger looked a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, Fred. I shouldn't have read it." he apologised.

Freddie smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, love," he assured Roger, before chuckling. "Shouldn't have left the fucking thing lying around!"

When they heard the door open and close again, the band went silent.

"Fred? Freddie, are you in?" Arthel's voice shouted, as he made his way up to the flat. "Your door was open - oh!"

Arthel looked at the band in surprise, making Freddie smile.

"So many lovely unexpected guests today!" he happily exclaimed, laughing as he stretched an arm across the back of the sofa. "Come in, darling, join us!" 

Comfortably, Arthel sat himself next to Freddie and let him rest his arm across his shoulders. The five of them chatted away amiably. After a while, Freddie let his arm slowly drop to Arthel's waist so that he could rest his head on Arthel's shoulder. 

"They know," he quietly told his partner. "They wanted to know about a song, and I couldn't come up with a good lie quickly enough. I know we agreed that we'd do it together, my dear, but..."

"I understand," Arthel quickly reassured Freddie. "It's absolutely fine."

Freddie felt a content smile spread across his face when Arthel pressed his lips to the top of his head.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we're glad you idiots finally got your acts together!" Roger remarked, making John chuckle beside him.

"We're happy for you both." Brian told the two men next to him. 

"Yeah," John agreed, smiling. "We really are."

Lifting g his head from Arthel's shoulder, Freddie grinned.

"Good, because you're going to have to put up with it!" he said, kissing Arthel's temple.

The corners of Arthel's mouth turned upwards as he turned to gaze at Freddie, making the singer's heart flutter with fondness. Instinctively, Freddie leaned closer to Arthel, and tested his forehead against his partner's with a small smile. They barely noticed the other three men exchange small grins.

"I need to head home," John announced. "I promised Ron I'd be back before dinner." 

"Of course, it's no problem, darling," Freddie said, leaning towards his young friend. "It's lovely of you to have dropped by, all of you. Say hello to Ron for me, will you?"

"Absolutely." John replied, hugging Freddie's shoulders.

Freddie wrapped his arms around John's slim waist, pressing his face into the bassist's stomach.

"I love you, Deacy." he murmured.

"Love you, too, Freddie," John told him. "Now, let go, I need to get back to my other family."

Once John had left, after everyone said goodbye, Roger got to his feet.

"I should probably get going." he told the room.

"I should as well, really." Brian agreed, also standing up.

Freddie and Arthel stood as well.

"Yes, of course," Freddie said. "Well, I'll see you soon, darlings. Enjoy your night!"

"Yeah, will do!" Roger replied, grinning, as he and Brian hugged Freddie and Arthel.

"I love you both!" Freddie called after them as they went downstairs.

"Love you, too, Fred!" Brian shouted back, chuckling slightly.

"Yeah, same to you, mate!" Roger agreed. "See you later, Ell!"

When the pair left the flat, Freddie wrapped his arms around Arthel.

"I'm so in love you, Arthel." he whispered.

He caught Arthel's lips with his and kissed him deeply. Before pulling away, Arthel smiled.

"So. They seemed to take it well." he remarked.

Freddie smiled.

"They did, didn't they?" he agreed.

Sighing contentedly, before yawning, Arthel rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and gently twisted a lock of Freddie's hair around his fingers.

"What was the song they were asking about?" he asked.

Freddie smiled a little mysteriously.

"You'll find out sooner or later." he replied, earning a soft, half-hearted hit to the chest.

"Looking forward to it." Arthel murmured, sleepily.

Freddie smiled down, lovingly, at Arthel and gathered him closer to his chest.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You're too tired to go home." he gently suggested.

Appreciatively, Arthel nodded against Freddie's shoulder, before Freddie pressed a loss to the crown of his head and guided him to the bedroom he slept in when he stayed over.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy by Queen.


End file.
